Eternal Promise
by Tiro
Summary: Hakkai thinks they are dreams, but soon realizes they are more than that.


**Eternal Promise**

**Summary**: Hakkai thinks they are dreams, but soon realizes they are more than that.

**Time**: Pre-journey, Hakkai and Gojyo have known each other for about a year.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Pretty much none. You need to know who Hakkai and Gojyo was before, when they lived in Heaven.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Saiyuki.

-

"_I want you to promise."_

"_Want me to promise what?"_

"_You know what I'm talking about, Tenpou."_

"_I'm afraid I don't."_

"_Come on." The voice had a pleading edge to it. _

_Blink of green eyes, a gentle smile. Blue eyes twinkling, grinning lips around a cigarette. The pleading was gone, but at the same time green-eye knew the pleading was always there, hidden underneath._

"_Alright, Kenren. Since you ask so nicely."_

"_Come on then, promise!"_

"_Alright. I promise."_

"_No matter what happens?" Pleading tone again. Green-eye was used to it, and caved in:_

"_Yes. Even if we'll die, I promise I'll find you."_

Green eyes, one fake, snapped open. One gasp, then a gulp of air. Cho Hakkai sat up abruptly, making the bed dip violently. Sweat trickled down his face, eyes wide. His body trembled.

"'Kai?"

"I'm fine, Gojyo", Hakkai said, running a hand through his brown hair. "Go back to sleep."

The sleepy hanyou looked at the brunette from his side of the bed before letting his head fall onto the pillow with a groan. The redheaded man was asleep within a moment. Hakkai closed his eyes for a moment.

Blue eyes, twinkling in amusement. Cigarette smoke. Black spiky hair.

Hakkai's eyes snapped open again. His voice rang out in the quietness of the room:

"Who are you?"

-

Hakkai looked up at the sound of chair scraping the floor. He turned away from the stove and smiled at the hanyou.

"Morning, Gojyo."

"Mornin'." Gojyo rubbed his eyes before dragging his fingers through his shoulder-long hair.

Hakkai put down a cup of coffee in front of the man and continued with breakfast. The dream was still with him, haunting him, mocking him. Pleading tone, twinkling eyes.

"'Kai? You look tired."

Hakkai turned around to say he was alright, but say blue eyes instead of red. A blink and they were gone. Gojyo looked confused at him. Hakkai gathered himself and said:

"Maybe I slept a bit bad last night. I'll just catch up tonight."

"Did I snore too much?" Gojyo said, eyebrow raised.

"_Come on, I don't snore, Tenpou!"_

_Green eyes twinkling. A pout, then a smile. A face, tanned skin and blue eyes. Mark on his forehead._

"_Come on, Tenpou! You snore more than me."_

"_Liar."_

Hakkai stared at the stove as he absently answered:

"No, you didn't snore, Gojyo. I just couldn't sleep."

"'Kay. Lemme know if I snore."

"Don't worry; I will."

-

"_Pass it here."_

"_Kenren, you're drinking far too much."_

"_Lets me sleep good at night."_

"_And you get a hangover whenever we're trying to make a plan."_

"_Well, you're better at planning than me. Give it to me."_

"_No."_

_Stubborn green holds onto the bottle of sake. Frustrating blue meets them, hand stretched out._

"_Tenpou…"_

"_Give me a reason, Kenren."_

"_Stop that, marshal and gimme the bottle."_

_Bony fingers gripping his wrist, not hurting just holding. A smaller hand settles on the bigger, and green-eye smiles._

"_Nope, general."_

"_Tenpou!"_

"Hakkai, you awake?"

The human turned youkai looked up, startled. Gojyo was eyeing him worriedly.

"Wha…?" Hakkai said.

"Man, don't scare me like that! I've been calling your name for like five minutes, and you just sat there and stared at the book!"

"Sorry", the man said with a smile. "I must be more tired than I thought."

"You can go and grab a nap if you want to", the redheaded man said.

"I still have to do laundry…"

"C'mon, lemme do it for once. I can do it, y'know."

"_Come on, Tenpou, let me help."_

"_It's an organized mess, Kenren."_

"_This isn't an organized mess, marshal! This is a fuckin' dump!" _

"_Kenren, that wasn't nice."_

"_C'mon, I do know how to clean. Just lemme know how you want it, and I'll do it!"_

These dreams were killing him. Hakkai twisted on the bed, hearing Gojyo's humming as the redheaded man hung up the laundry outside. The green-eyed youkai had opened the window, hoping some air would help him to fall asleep. It had not helped.

"Who are you?" he whispered again.

_Blue eyes, laughing. Cigarette passed between two hands, one tanned, one pale._

"_One day we'll be gone from this place."_

_Green eyes blinked, and turned to the tanned man. Blue eyes met his own and they sparkled._

"_Oh, general? And what are you planning to do once we're gone?"_

"_Getting a house I think. Then give you a room where you can have all the books you want."_

"_Oh, you're letting me stay with you? How nice."_

"_I'll give you a real bed."_

"_I have one, thank you very much."_

"_You let your books sleep in it. You sleep in a chair, marshal. That's a difference."_

"_I can always sleep in your bed."_

"_I trash around, Tenpou and you know it."_

"_But it makes you so cute. And I like sleeping in your bed."_

"… _Shut up." Blush._

Hakkai opened his eyes, to awaiting darkness. Gojyo was lying quietly next to him. The brunette turned carefully to his side so he could watch his friend. Trash around… Gojyo did that sometimes. Blue eyes; why did they feel so familiar?

"Who are you?" he whispered.

"_I'm Kenren. Nice to meet you."_

-

Hakkai woke up to find an empty bed. He looked around in confusion until he saw the time. Ten in the morning!

The brunette nearly fell out from the bed and he got to the kitchen. There he stopped in shock.

Gojyo was making breakfast, and he was not so bad. The eggs were already finished, and he was cooking some rice.

"Gojyo? Are you alright or should I call for a doctor?"

The hanyou spun around, and relaxed once he saw it was Hakkai.

"Haha, very funny 'Kai", the redhead muttered. "Nah, you were sleeping so good so I thought I should make breakfast for once. How do you want your coffee?"

"Same as yours", Hakkai said, sitting down. "Well, this is a sight I can get used to."

"Yeah, yeah", Gojyo said with a wave of his hand. "It's nothin'."

Hakkai had no strange dreams that day. He wondered why.

-

They came back just before going to bed a few days later though. Hakkai had just finished the dishes and went into the bedroom. Gojyo was already asleep.

_Spiky black hair lying flat against the skull. Dressed in only a pair of pants, the man looked very comfortable. Green-eye smiled. He liked that sight. He tip-toed inside, carefully not to wake his friend. The blanket was drawn up, tucked around the sleeping man's shoulders._

_Stir. Green-eye shushed the man, who groaned and cracked one blue eye open. _

"_The dawn is not far away, general. Catch some sleep while you can."_

"_What about you, marshal?"_

_The low mumbling made green-eye chuckle. Always the same. Blue eye narrowing but not in anger. Sleep won in the end, and blue-eye was asleep. _

Hakkai looked at Gojyo. Two red eyes were watching him, heavily laced with sleep.

"Hi", the green-eyed man said. "Sorry I woke you up."

"Nah… it's okay."

"_We're going to die, aren't we?"_

_Green eyes locked with blue. The twinkle was gone. The smile was grim, no cigarette to share. Time to face the truth._

"_Yes, Kenren. We're going to die."_

"_Well, that's sucks. What about the others?"_

"_I honestly don't know. Perhaps they'll die too, or they'll survive."_

_Light. Two guards, two swords. Fate had come. Blue eyes bored into green._

"_Remember the promise, Tenpou."_

"_I'll remember, Kenren. I'll find you."_

_Two hands, clasping together for one moment. That's the last embrace they will share in many years. Blue never left green. Green wanted more time. This was not fair. But then again, real life was never fair._

Hakkai gasped, and Gojyo got up from the bed as the man's knees buckled. They fell together onto the floor.

"Hakkai? Hakkai!"

Green locked with red. For a moment they were still. Red seemed to turn into blue.

"Found you", Hakkai whispered, "Kenren."

Gojyo's eyes widened. Whatever he had tried to say died on his tongue. They stared at each other for a long while, all until something suddenly clicked, even though Gojyo knew it was not his own thoughts. The ruby eyes softened, flashed blue for a moment and the hanyou replied:

"You held your promise... marshal."

_Green and blue, smiling. Passing a cigarette between tanned and pale hand. _

"_Eternal promise, marshal. Don't underestimate that."_

"_Whatever you say, general."_

**End

* * *

**

My very first Saiyuki-oneshot that I will put up here. I'm working on two more of them, but it's gonna take a while until I get there. Hope you enjoyed this one.

Until another time,

Ja,

Tiro


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